To clear inactive data stored in data extensions after 12 months, NTO should apply a row-based retention to each data extension as it is created, set to 12 months. This will delete any records that have not been modified in the last 12 months. Row-based retention can be applied to individual data extensions or data extension templates

Explanation
Smart Capture is the feature that should be used to create a survey form. Smart Capture is a feature that allows marketers to create and insert forms within landing pages or emails, such as surveys, polls, or feedback requests. Smart Capture can be customized with different fields, labels, buttons, and actions. Smart Capture can capture subscriber responses and store them in a data extension or update existing records in Marketing Cloud.

To address the issue of Northern Trail Outfitters' employees not receiving emails due to spam filters, the Marketing Cloud admin should provide the IT team with a list of relevant IP addresses to whitelist in their spam filters. This action will help ensure that emails sent from Marketing Cloud do not get blocked by the company's email security systems, thereby improving deliverability and ensuring that internal communications reach their intended recipients.

Explanation
Join is the activity that would allow NTO to build the journey with the fewest activities possible. Join allows you to combine multiple paths into one path based on a common attribute or event. This way, NTO can send five different versions of an initial welcome email using five different paths, and then join them into one path for the follow-up email